John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) was an American composer and band leader whose name is almost synonymous with marches. Trained in music in his youth and educated in the Marine Corps Band, Sousa composed his first march at 16. Throughout his career, he was renowned for his rousing patriotic marches, such as The Stars and Stripes Forever, The Washington Post, and The Liberty Bell. But Sousa was also successful as a composer of operettas, including El Capitan and The Bride Elect. With the Sousa Band, he toured around the world to great critical acclaim and received honors from heads of state.